Morganne’s music bleeds sensuality, her voice is like honey dripping over lyrics that are cheeky but clever. Her new song with Maryze “Langue” is the perfect example of her brand of pop, it’s a little dark, a little edgy, and get’s stuck in your head immediately. We talked to Morganne about her music beginnings, building a community, and why it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
How did you get started in music?
Morganne: My parents are both creative. I grew up doing acting, dancing, and singing. From a very young age, I wanted to be a triple threat. I started writing music, and I would write little songs, and some of them were terrible. As I got older, I had to whittle things down, and I ended up choosing dancing. A year into my high school dance career, I got injured, and then there was nothing. All my creative outlets went away, and I threw my efforts into boys and partying. I woke up one day in college, and I knew I needed to do something creative. I was studying finance like a dumbass. I felt like I needed to do something to make good money; I'm not as good at math as I thought I was. I applied to a creative marketing agency, which was student-run, and it got the ball rolling. I did a lot of soul-searching and inner child healing. It brought me back to making music. I ended up meeting my producer.
I feel like it's a scam that people think you should know what to do at 18.
Morganne: I wanted to be a coroner for a little bit. Everything I wanted to do was guided by the TV shows I was watching. I was so young and dumb, but joining that marketing club led to what I do now, and that was just an extracurricular.
Was it scary taking that risk and switching from finance?
Morganne: Even joining the creative club, people were like, "It doesn't seem like you should be studying that." I thought everyone wanted to get through college, but I learned people in my finance classes actually wanted to do finance. My parents never pushed me into doing something stable. I chose it for myself. I was worried about money. I wanted to feel secure. My family and the people I was surrounded with were like, "You making music makes so much sense." No one was surprised. I think certain people didn't think it was possible, but I knew it was possible.
Tell me about your new song, "Langue."
Morganne: I've always loved French. I studied abroad, and I've been losing it, but my first two songs featured some French. It's something I've always drizzled and sprinkled into my music. Doing something. Heavier on the French was something I always wanted to do. I met Maryze through TikTok; of course, she was visiting LA. We had lunch one day, and we started talking about our shared love of French music. The way they operate as artists, i'm a big fanof people whoa re the total artsit. It's the visuals, it's fashion, it's film, it's art, it's music, and it's united in their artistry. Artists like Stromae, all his art is integrated, and his music is so deep but comes off as fun, dancey music. There are layers. So we bonded over this, and we decided to do a session, and we just had a really good feeling. She's the French genius who wrote the double entendre, which was "Enseigne-moi ta langue" which is teach me your language but also teach me your tongue. Honestly, the most beautiful thing to come out of it is our friendship.
And you met on TikTok; I feel like if you embrace TikTok as a way to make friends, you're going to be fine.
Morganne: It has changed, but I owe so much to TikTok; all of my music connections came from it. My first internet friend was King Mala, and we became really fast friends. We'd FaceTime for hours. I moved to LA, and it was so smooth because I had already built a full community here before I even got here. If you can lean into the community aspect and understand that it's a tool and not base all your worth on it. Take it for the good.
You were talking about manifesting. Do you have manifesting tips or tricks?
Morganne: Lately, I've felt more disconnected from it; I've talked to my friends about it, and a lot of them have felt like they are not in the game. I'm trying to find my way back. Set aside some dedicated time and really try to feel it in your body. Sometimes, I envision myself walking onto the stage at Lolla, and I feel the air and hear the crowd. Also, just work at it every day. In my experience, things work better when you write it down or put it on a Post-it note, making it a part of your everyday life.
What has been a challenge in your music career?
Morganne: The speed of things and music take a long time to make, and I get really distracted, and days and weeks fly by. Especially as a woman in the music industry, I try not to feel this way, but the constant pressure of time, and it feels like time is not on my side in all aspects of my life, especially in music. I see other people; comparison is so bad, but I see other people doing more with their time than I have done. I would like to work on quickening up the pace a little bit.
Especially since now, you can see everyone's progress.
Morganne: I haven't been able to release more than two songs a year ever, and next year, I would love to be able to release more and become more prolific with my stuff. That's what you have to do. I'm definitely a quality-over-quantity person, but I'm working on finding a balance.
I feel like artists are so pressured to put material out.
Morganne: I'm not going to release something just because I'm supposed to release something. I can't market something unless my whole heart is in it. I also am at a point in my career where I'm trying to find my voice and my aesthetic. Not every song is going to fit in that, so it's good to be choosy with that.
What's your best advice for young women who want to be in music?
Morganne: Even if you think it's oversaturated, you should start. If I never started, I wouldn't know what the hell I would be doing with my life; I felt so lost until I started making music. If it's that feeling that's constantly tugging you, you can't go wrong. People might surpass you, and you might see everyone and their mom promoting their music on TikTok. There's no way making the art you want to make is a bad thing. Sometimes, I wish I had started sooner, but I'm grateful I started. Whatever you want to do in music, do it and be loud.
Keep up with Morganne on TikTok, Spotify, and Instagram.
Emily Treadgold
